PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Sadio Mane – Quiet in the dressing room, but a real fighter

by Phumzile Ngcatshe

Friday Nov 24, 2017. 16:00

Sadio Mane's Senegal teammate Pape Souare says the Liverpool forward is always quiet and prefers to let his feet do the talking on the field of play.

The Crystal Palace defender in the English Premier League reveals that they were always driven by the dream to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

Mane was only 10-years-old when the Lions of Teranga reached the knockout stages of the 2002 edition in Japan and South Korea.

Coach Aliou Cisse, who was part of the 2002 heroes team, will now pin his hopes on the 'Smiling Assassin' to carry the team's hopes heading to Russia next year.

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"In the dressing room, he is a quiet guy but he's a very nice guy and a good character to have around," Souare told BBC Sport.

"Sadio is a complete player. He is very fast, has quick feet and can change direction very quickly."

On the other hand, Liverpool fan Gareth Roberts, who is the editor of The Anfield Wrap podcast, added that the 25-year-old is a real fighter.

"One thing I like about Mane is that he's got real fight, real character," added Roberts.

"If the game is not going your way, you can always rely on Mane to keep going, keep plugging away, keep trying to win the match - he's got that fighting spirit.

"While there's been huge debate about Philippe Coutinho potentially leaving, actually Sadio Mane is arguably Liverpool's most important player right now."